


Irreplaceable Sweetheart

by BirdyBanter



Category: Person of Interest (TV)
Genre: Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Injury, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-16
Updated: 2020-02-16
Packaged: 2021-02-28 07:02:29
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,189
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22759702
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BirdyBanter/pseuds/BirdyBanter
Summary: John thinks he's replaceable, poor guy.
Relationships: Harold Finch & John Reese
Comments: 2
Kudos: 24





	Irreplaceable Sweetheart

**Author's Note:**

> I love the scenes where John and Harold are sat side by side having intense conversations or just enjoying each others company (especially with the adorable Bear) so I guess that's what inspired this shameless bit of fluff. Hope you enjoy it and all constructive comments are welcome.

It had been a month since John had been badly injured protecting a number. It was two weeks since the doctors had told him that the damage to his leg would probably be permanent, which meant he wouldn’t be able to walk the same as he had before never mind run. John had not taken the news well. But that was nothing compared to how Harold had taken it. The guilt was eating him up. This was not helped by spending two hours searching frantically for a missing John. The relief flooded Harold as he caught sight of John on a bench in the park he had just started searching. 

Harold approached. ‘John,’ he said trying to soften the name to sound less disapproving than he felt. But failing.

John looked up briefly but said nothing.

‘It’s eleven a.m John and you’re already half a bottle of whiskey down.’

‘Well done for stating the obvious, Finch. Bit disappointing for a man with such a formidable I.Q’ His words slurred towards the end, making Harold weary at the thought of their upcoming conversation.

‘What’s this all about John?’

‘What do you think Harold?’ John said gesturing to his leg. With that Harold sat beside him. 

‘I know it’s been difficult but-‘

‘Do you? How would you know? You’ve been expertly avoiding me.’

‘I’m sorry John.’

‘I don’t need your sympathy, I don’t blame you it’s not like I’m any use to you anymore.’

‘That is beyond untrue and you know it. Your assistance and support have always been invaluable to me.’ 

‘Right.’

‘John you need to snap out of this.’

‘I’m done Harold, finished. Leave me be.’

‘Do you really think that I of all people am going to throw you on the scrapheap because of a bad leg injury, seriously? Mr Reese, that is ridiculous.’

‘I’m not like you Harold. I don’t have a keen mind and unfathomable skills. I’m no genius with more power in his little finger than ten men have in their whole bodies. My physicality is everything without it I’m nothing. Impotent and useless.’

‘You have a brilliant tactile mind, able to adapt and think several moves ahead in the field. What’s more you have an innate ability to read people. Something you are well aware I struggle with. You are not just necessary to our mission, you are essential.’

‘And this is you being kind Finch and perhaps a tad patronizing.’

‘I’m not patronizing you. I mean every word.’

‘You don’t need me.

‘Yes, I do.’

‘I don’t believe you.’

‘I’ll prove it, if you give me the chance to. Please, please John don’t do this. Don’t give up on us.’

‘Us?’

‘Us, the mission, our partnership.’

‘I don’t have anything left to give.’

‘Then just for a change take something.’

‘What do you want me to take, Harold?’

‘This for starters.’ Harold reached out to tap John’s hand and then laid his own hand open for John to take. After a moment of raised eyebrows John took it and gave a little squeeze.

‘I have more to offer John. Do you think you would accept it?’

John gave the minutest nod and then Harold leaned in to press a gentle kiss to John’s lips.

As they briefly kissed a sound came from across the path, on the opposite bench. It emitted from an elderly gentleman who was sitting there. John and Harold turned to him for a moment and he shook his head and turned away. Harold and John turned back to each other.

‘That was a little unexpected Finch.’ 

‘Not really. It’s what happens next that I can’t predict. There are three options as I see it.’

‘Oh, and what are they?’ 

‘One, you get up and hurry off as fast as your injured leg will allow. Two, you take my hand, gently kiss it and say that you will have to decline any further advances…’

‘And option three would be?’

‘You take hold of me and do something to make that guy over there throw what’s left of his sandwich at us.’ Harold said nodding to the guy on the opposite bench, their unwilling audience.

John smiled gently, picked up Harold’s hand and kissed it reverently.

‘It’s a real shame.’ John said

Harold nodded in agreement, resigned and waiting for the anticipated rejection.

‘It really is a lovely suit and I’ve always thought you look handsome in it. So, it’s a pity it’s about to be covered in whatever is in that guy’s sandwich.’ With that John gathered Harold into his arms, pulled him into a kiss, waited for his friend’s mouth to open up to him before devouring it. He possessively rubbed Harold’s chest with his right hand and with his left slid up Harold’s nearest thigh. 

They were interrupted by another sound from the bench opposite. Harold started to pull away but John held him firmly, determined not to let anyone spoil this moment for him.

They were still enjoying the kiss when the sound suddenly got louder. Harold did break away then and as John also turned his head to find out what was going on, he caught the smile on Finch’s face which confused him. It was only when he was face forward that he realized that the elderly man from the other bench was standing in front of them and was also smiling and now John could place the sound he started smiling, too. The sound was the man clapping.

‘I’m terribly sorry to interrupt, but I couldn’t help myself. I was sitting there trying to mind my own business but I had to come over and Congratulate you. You both seemed so sad and uncertain when you sat down, and I’m so glad it turned out this way. I thought you might be silly enough to let it slip through your fingers like I did. You see that’s the bench I come to sit on every day,’ he pointed to the bench he had been sitting on, ‘and I think about my love, my Edith. We used to sit there together but I lost her a year ago. I let love slip through my fingers for so long, I lost her when she married someone else. Because I wasn’t brave enough to fight for her. I had to wait thirty years for a second chance, it only came because she lost her husband. I married her and she made me the happiest man alive but we only had three short years together before I lost her again. I had that bench dedicated to her and I’d like it to remind everyone to not waste time, grab love when it comes along. So just love each other, enjoy each other and make the most of each other.’

‘We intend to.’ Harold said not missing a beat. 

John just smiled first at Harold and then at the stranger. Kind eyes smiled back at him.

‘Then my work here is done.’ The man said and he walked away with a smile on his face while Harold and John went back to holding hands and tenderly kissing.


End file.
